Saved from Ukraine Lioness Receives Critical Dental Operation

The Big Cat Sanctuary

A three-year-old lioness saved from conflict-ridden Ukraine has received vital oral operation to extract a severely infected canine tooth resulting from an infection.

The lioness arrived at The Big Cat Sanctuary in Smarden, Kent on 14 March after a fundraising effort by managing director the sanctuary's leader, who collected half a million pounds to fund her and several other lions from Ukraine.

The Rescue Center

The procedure was carried out on Friday by dentist an experienced animal dentist, who has treated about 450 big cats.

"Upon inspecting the lioness's oral cavity, I could see right away the damaged fang was highly inflamed," stated Mr Kertesz.

He thought the dental issue was due to a trauma sustained over twelve months back, causing bacteria creating harmful substances inside the tooth.

"My philosophy is non-human dental problems need to be treated in the safest, the most conservative and safest way," he explained.

Mr Kertesz explained that as the lioness no longer required to catch prey, extraction was the most "sensible and ethical solution."

The Big Cat Sanctuary

The sanctuary said the extracted tooth was 3.14 inches in length, with Mr Kertesz having to remove a pocket of pus from beneath the tooth and seal the large wound with multiple absorbable stitches.

He also performed a root canal treatment on the opposing upper canine tooth, which was discovered to have a similar issue.

Briony Smith, manager at the facility, said the procedure was a "total triumph."

She said the team had observed "a minor swelling on the lioness's face" but it had been impossible to assess "how serious the condition was."

"The lioness will be somewhat sore to begin with, but now that the toxins are removed from her system, she will begin improving over the coming days," added Ms Smith.

This vital operation marks a significant step in the lioness's healing process after her arrival from the conflict area.